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CORTLANDT, N.Y. -- James McPherson, professor emeritus of U.S. History at Princeton University, will make a rare appearance March 7 at the Hollow Brook Golf Club in Cortlandt Manor.

McPherson is considered to be the “dean of Civil War historians” in the United States and will be the featured speaker at the annual presidential banquet of the Lincoln Society, based in Peekskill.

His presentation is entitled: “Why the Civil War Still Matters.”

McPherson won the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1989 for "Battle Cry of Freedom" and is a past president of The American Historical Association.

“Professor McPherson’s appearance offers people a rare opportunity to hear and speak with the leading Civil War historian in the country,” Lincoln Society president William Walsh said in a statement. “As the author of the greatest single volume book on the Civil War and a strong proponent of preserving the battle fields from that conflict, McPherson is the best recognized name in the field today.”

For his outstanding scholarly achievements, McPherson has been selected by the board of directors to be the 2015 recipient of its prestigious “Lincoln Legacy Award”.